Det Means Girl

Det Means Girl
Directed byAbolfazl Jalili
Screenplay byAbolfazl Jalili
Produced byAli Reza Zarrin
StarringHossein Saki
CinematographyMehdi Majde Vaziri
Edited byAbolfazl Jalili
Release date
  • 1995 (1995)
LanguagePersian

Det Means Girl (Persian: دت یعنی دختر, romanizedDet Yani Dokhtar) is a 1995 Iranian drama film written and directed by Abolfazl Jalili. It was entered into the main competition at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival.

Plot

Cast

  • Hossein Saki as Shuan
  • Zeinab Barband as Balot
  • Nabi Jalilian as Shuan's Father
  • Jaleh Sameti
  • Masumeh Kordi

Production

The cast of the film mainly consists of non-professional actors.[1]

Release

The film entered the main competition at the 52nd edition of the Venice Film Festival, in which it won a Golden Osella.[2][3] It was also screened at the 1995 Three Continents Festival in Nantes, in which Hossein Saki was awarded the prize for best young actor.[4]

Reception

Tullio Kezich from Corriere della Sera praised the film, describing it as a "noble example of neorealism" and an "austere exploration of suffering" whose emphasis is on "the authenticity of its settings and situations, and on the fragile humanity of the non-professional performers portraying their own lives".[5] Irene Bignardi from La Repubblica described it as "a moving and powerful example of Iranian neorealism" and "a heart-wrenching and harrowing film", "conveyed with sparing dialogue and powerful imagery".[2] Variety's critic Deborah Young criticized the film's experimental editing and lack of rhythm, and wrote: "the best Iranian films manage to turn simplicity into a virtue, but on that score Det Means Girl misses the mark".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Young, Deborah (9 October 1995). "Det Means Girl". Variety. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b Bignardi, Irene (2 September 1995). "Ragazza vuol dire dolore a Teheran". La Repubblica. p. 30.
  3. ^ "52. Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica". Venice Biennale. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Festival 1995". Festival des 3 Continents. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  5. ^ Kezich, Tullio (2 September 1995). "In gara il neorealismo rivive nell'Iran, tra medioevo e futuro". Corriere della Sera. p. 31.